Iran allows women to attend Tehran soccer game

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – In a rare move, authorities in Iran allowed women to attend a soccer game at the Tehran Azadi stadium in the Iranian capital on Thursday evening, local media reported.

Videos posted on social media show women inside the stadium as the national league game between Esteghlal FC, the second most popular team in Iran, and Mes-e Kerman kicked off.

The footage shows women waving blue team flags of Esteghlal and cheering from their seats, FIFA World Cup in a special area designated for women at the 100,000-seat stadium.

According to the semi-official ISNA news agency, 500 tickets were dedicated exclusively for FIFA World Cup women though it wasn’t immediately clear how many attended.

A news website, Asriran, said that four hours ahead of the match, tickets assigned for women sold for about $70 on the black market, FIFA World Cup compared to their official price of under $2.